Succession Planning in Energy & Utilities: Building a Leadership Pipeline Before You Need It

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I wrote this guide on succession planning in Energy & Utilities because the sector’s leadership transition is colliding with a demographic and capability one. A significant share of utility executives are approaching retirement while the skill profile the industry needs is shifting toward digital, commercial, and transition capabilities the traditional bench was never built for. Building the pipeline before you need it is no longer optional.

Why Energy & Utilities Faces a Succession Challenge

A significant share of utility executives are approaching retirement while the skill profile the industry needs is shifting toward digital, commercial, and transition capabilities the traditional bench was never built for. This is compounded by the sector’s transformation: Load growth from electrification and data centers has made growth planning a board-level topic after decades of flat demand. A historic capital cycle across generation, transmission, distribution, and storage demands leaders who deliver megaprojects on discipline. The leaders retiring were built for a different industry than the one their successors will run.

Mapping Critical-Seat Exposure

Start with an honest inventory: for each critical seat, is there a ready-now successor, a ready-in-two-years candidate, or a gap? In Energy & Utilities, the seats most often exposed are Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and the sector’s scarce technology and transition roles. The exercise is uncomfortable precisely because it surfaces gaps leaders prefer not to see.

Building the Pipeline

Pipeline building has three moving parts: developing high-potentials against tomorrow’s required capabilities rather than yesterday’s, benchmarking those internal candidates honestly against the external market so readiness is calibrated rather than assumed, and cultivating external relationships for the seats the internal bench cannot realistically fill.

Emergency Succession: The Plan You Hope Not to Use

Every critical seat needs an interim plan: who steps in, with what authority, for how long, if the incumbent departs suddenly. Boards that have not designated interim successors discover the cost during the worst possible week. The interim plan is separate from, and no substitute for, the permanent pipeline.

Connecting Succession to Search

Succession planning and external search are two halves of one leadership strategy. The seats where internal succession is unrealistic become tomorrow’s external searches, and starting those relationships early, before the vacancy, is what separates prepared boards from scrambling ones. Our guide to executive search in Energy & Utilities covers the external side, and our Energy & Utilities talent trends analysis tracks the demographic and capability shifts driving the challenge.

Related Energy & Utilities Resources

See also Energy & Utilities executive search guide, Energy & Utilities top 10 in-demand roles, Energy & Utilities executive compensation report.

Tanya Gallardo

Managing Director, Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy

Tanya Gallardo is the Managing Director of Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy at JRG Partners, leading C-suite and Board engagements across key growth sectors including Technology, Financial Services, and Manufacturing.

With over 18 years of experience specializing in disruptive technology leadership, Tanya is recognized as a leading authority on talent architecture for future-focused executive roles, such as the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Her expertise lies in accurately assessing the cultural fit and technical depth required to ensure a high return on investment (ROI) for critical leadership appointments.

Prior to her role at JRG Partners, Tanya held senior roles directing global talent acquisition strategies at a major publicly-traded technology firm, advising on organizational design and succession planning for emerging executive functions. She is a recognized speaker and contributor to industry events, sharing data-driven insights on executive compensation, leadership development, and the measurable business impact of C-suite talent.

Connect with Tanya to discuss your executive search needs.